Local non-profits begin 'Holidays on Wheels' for families in need of a Thanksgiving meal

TAMPA, Fla. - Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with many people out of work, the need this holiday season is greater than ever before. 

Metropolitan Ministries has been collecting food to make sure Tampa Bay families are taken care of this holiday season, and they have partners across the area helping to make sure that food gets to where it needs to go.

Tuesday morning, volunteers with the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger will be delivering Thanksgiving meals to families in need. The ‘Holiday on Wheels’ program was launched to make sure food and toys donated by the community this holiday season reach those families who need it the most. 

Throughout the day Tuesday, they will be delivering full Thanksgiving meals to families who might not be able to make it out to the Metro Ministries tent. They’ll be taking the food directly to the homes of those who don’t have a working car, mode of transportation or for homebound families with children. 

READ: Metropolitan Ministries sees surge in need, and giving, during pandemic

This holiday season, Metro Ministries expects to help about 50,000 families. Volunteers with the Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger will deliver food and toys to about 1,500 of those families who need help. They say they want to make sure that no matter what the situation is, every family is taken care of and has a holiday they can remember. 

The deadline has passed to register to have the Thanksgiving meal delivered to your home, but the TBNEH will be continuing through service through Christmas.

If you have registered to receive help from Metro Ministries, but can’t get out to the holiday tent, you can still sign up for your Christmas meal to be delivered as long as you are registered before December 7. To register for ‘Holiday on Wheels,’ click here.

In order to make this all possible, just like Metro Ministries, TBNEH relies on their volunteers. Over 300 people will be helping to deliver food throughout the holiday season, but they can always use more help. To register to be a volunteer, click here.

To register for assistance from Metro Ministries, or if you are interested in volunteering, click here.